afraid he might have said something important to her, or is afraid she might have seen something, or perhaps have observed someone visiting this house.”
“That seems preposterous.” Diotima snorted. “She was a lunatic who barely knew the people around her. I’m sure Father would never have discussed anything with her.” She thought about it with her head tilted to one side and staring into the distance. “How about this,” she suggested at last. “What if Father wasn’t murdered for politics? What if it was a personal reason? Then it might make sense that they also would want to kill Stratonike.”
“And you thought my idea was weak?”
“Let me know when you have a better one.”
“I do. Right now, I would very much like to get my nose close to Rizon and have a big sniff.”
Diotima grimaced. “Gah! Even the thought turns my stomach.”
It was impossible of course. I could not go anywhere near the man without it being clear I’d been tramping about a murder scene with his fiancee.
Fortunately someone had to inform him of what had happened. Ordinarily a messenger would be sent, but it would be reasonable for Diotima to go personally. Once there she would see what she could of his clothing, appearance, and, most importantly, get close enough to smell him for the aroma of the sea. Diotima shuddered in distaste. “The thought is appalling but I suppose I must.” Diotima rose to wash and change her bloodied clothes with the help of the returned women slaves.
“Go with her to Rizon,” I ordered Achilles. “Don’t let her out of your sight once she’s in the house with him.”
Achilles trembled. “The master may have a different view, sir.”
“I know, but do your best.” It occurred to me that Achilles ultimately would belong to Rizon, and he could earn whatever favor there was to be had by reporting the morning’s actions. “I’m going to offer a variation on what Diotima said to you before, Achilles. If Diotima is unhurt when all this is over, then there’ll be a reward for you. If I can, I’ll buy you and set you up with a comfortable existence.”
“Thank you, sir. And if the mistress is regrettably hurt, sir, despite my best efforts?”
“I’ll buy you anyway, but if you were negligent then I’ll kill you.”
“That would not be in the nature of a jest, sir?”
“No, Achilles, it wouldn’t.”
“And I had thought you such a nice young man, sir,” he said in an aggrieved tone.
“Concentrate on the happy part where she isn’t hurt.”
I left Diotima and Achilles to clean up the mess. Diotima remained a ward of the state until the wedding, and so in addition to telling Rizon of the deaths she would have to send a messenger to Conon. I regretted not being there when he learned of this latest thorn in his backside, as if Ephialtes’ death wasn’t complicated enough already.
13
I returned home to wash and change clothes before continuing. Sitting in our public room was Tellis, waiting for me. For a moment, I wondered what he was doing there, until I realized how many days had passed. I had failed to find Aristodicus in time.
“Ah, Nicolaos. I noticed this morning you had not made an appearance at the Polemarch’s office. The Polemarch noticed the same thing, and he’s wondering why. Have you an answer for him?”
I pondered Diotima’s position. I thought I could live with Pericles’ contempt, but if I left him now, I would also be leaving Diotima with her father unavenged, three corpses in her home, and in an unknown degree of danger. Also, I was as convinced as ever that whatever lay behind the murder of Ephialtes was important to Athens, Father’s words notwithstanding, and if I gave up now, we might never know the truth.
But the offer was so tempting.
“I would like another day.”
“You do not have another day, the terms were clear. Tell me your words to the Polemarch.”
I took a deep breath.
“Firstly, that I am enormously flattered that the Polemarch should consider me; secondly, that it is impossible for me to accept if it means I must abandon my investigation; thirdly, that I think that is precisely what the Polemarch wants to achieve with his offer; and fourthly, that I look forward to finding out why.”
Tellis rose. “Then I shall leave you to your fate. I cannot say that I am disappointed; I tell you frankly I advised the Polemarch against his course. You and I are of one mind on one point only: you are not the man for the job. However, in my case it is because I judge you to be a cocky young man with too much regard for your own importance. Good day to you.” Tellis left in a fit of coughing.
I paused to mourn the future that might have been, then returned to the hunt. The main game was finding Aristodicus of Tanagra. I knew, or at least I thought I knew, from the innkeeper who’d hosted him, that he’d moved to Piraeus. That made sense for a man worried about discovery. But why was the man still in Athens at all? I’d have to ask when I found him.
So I put the chaos of Ephialtes’ house out of my mind and walked to Piraeus, which lies to the southwest of the city. I took the south road, which is encased between the famous Long Walls of Athens. The Long Walls stretch from the city, down both sides of the road, all the way to the fortress walls of Piraeus, and so protect the entire southern route. The Long Walls are high and strong, made from the toughest timber and with support posts dug deep into the earth. They turn Athens and Piraeus into a single combined fortified site, so if the city is ever besieged again, the Athenians will still have access to the sea, and their mighty navy.
The road was crowded, as it always is, even during the heat of midday. I had to watch my step from carts rattling uphill to the city, pulled by braying donkeys and pushed by slaves. The owners walked alongside, swearing with every step. Most of those carts were loaded with corn. Athens can never have enough corn; no matter how much arrives, it’s never enough to fill all the mouths. Carts were rolling downhill too, most filled with our best export to pay for the corn: the famous Athenian red-figure pottery. The owners of those carts were swearing with every bump in the road.
The walk to the coast is an easy one, and it wasn’t long before the smell of the sea was strong enough to overpower the odor of donkey and donkey droppings. The three harbors of Piraeus were spread out before me, the large commercial harbor to the west, with countless merchant ships waiting to dock alongside the Emporium, the smallest harbor to the east, where the fishing boats and the local craft had their anchor; and in the middle harbor, a flotilla of triremes. There were perhaps two hundred triremes anchored in that bay, and at least another hundred out serving Athens on various missions. Long, thin, tall enough to accommodate three rows of oars and oarsmen, wet and wooden, fast and tough, they were the reason Athens dominated the civilized world, because a hundred triremes dropping anchor off your city is probably not going to be good news.
I wished I could have used some of those forces for myself, because facing me was the same dreary march from one inn to the next that I’d already made in Athens. I couldn’t bear the thought on an empty stomach, and stopped for lunch first.
That innkeeper had been right. The places in Piraeus are worse than the lowest slums in Athens. Much worse. I’d never paid attention to the local inns-only the taverns and drinking bars had piqued my interest in the past-but now that I was paying attention, I realized it made sense. The sailors looking for a bed more comfortable than a wallowing deck would want a place to stay close to their work. The wealthy would be arriving off ship to visit the city.
By late afternoon I had checked three-quarters of the inns in Piraeus. Who would have thought there would be so many? I felt like searching myself for fleas as I left each one, and I had learnt the subtle art of stepping around drunk, hungover, or simply bellicose sailors.
I asked the question yet again at an inn situated in a dim, tiny alley behind the corn exchange, a bit better than most I’d seen. This time the innkeeper raised an eyebrow, and pointed me to a man seated in the corner, his back to the wall.
Aristodicus was an observant man. Before I had taken a step he had risen, turned, picked up the table before him, and charged me. The table was a ram that pushed me backward through the doorway and out into the street.
